


A Change of Heart

by feelsandbooksandshit



Series: Suzao Canon Divergence [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelsandbooksandshit/pseuds/feelsandbooksandshit
Summary: [Since she hadn't been trying to sneak in, Mao's footsteps echoed through the large room. The person turned, pulling Basil closer in defense. When their eyes met hers, the grip loosened, the eyes softened, but the twitch in their eyebrows showed confusion."Mao."]Alternate universe where Mao finds Suzui instead of Nobu.
Relationships: Mao Osaki/Suzui Komai
Series: Suzao Canon Divergence [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816708
Kudos: 1





	A Change of Heart

Mao hadn't intended to see anyone tonight. It was supposed to be a simple walk to clear her mind. She couldn't stay in her dorm anymore, haunted by the uncertainty of the motive, the dead bodies she was forced to investigate, and the executions that she had looked away from but could still hear. Even now, the sounds of screams and final explanations and squelching and crying all filled her ears as they started to ring. Ne, Lyna, Shou, and Alani. Four people had died and there wasn't any amount of encouraging words or solidarity that could change that fact.

So she left the dorm. The walls had felt too close, the air too still, the room too silent. She walked without a destination, breathing deeply. It was only once she had walked up the stairs that she realized her feet were carrying her to the science lab. It wasn't a surprise that her subconscious was trying to lead her there. Mao often found herself looking to science when she felt out of control. The study of life and its relationships were easy to understand, at least on the bacterial level. Humans were... harder. When she tried to apply the same logic to people, it rarely lined up. They were unpredictable. Cells were. She had control there. So, she continued her walk to the lab doors.

But the door to the pool was open.

Any other time of the day, she would've shrugged it off and continued walking. Not at one in the morning though. She hesitated, slowing to a stop. Squinting her eyes, trying to see into the pool area, Mao considered ignoring it. But she couldn't. The tight feeling in her gut is what spurred her to turn and walk through the doorway.

Blood was the first thing she noticed.

The trail was thin, but it was definitely blood. Mao had seen enough in these past weeks to know. Immediately, she follow the droplets through the entrance. Once she'd entered the pool area, she looked up and saw something crouched by the poolside.

A person.

White cloth mixed with red and turned pink. There wasn't much blood, only on the person's shoulder and sleeve, but it was there.

The slightly pink sleeve held a man in its grip. He was unconscious, limp but alive. Mao could only see his messy brown hair, but she recognized him.

Basil.

Since she hadn't been trying to sneak in, Mao's footsteps echoed through the large room. The person turned, pulling Basil closer in defense. When their eyes met hers, their grip loosened, their eyes softened, but the twitch in their eyebrows showed confusion.

"Mao."

Suzui's voice was light. She made no attempt to explain what was happening, she just stared. Letting out a shuddering breath, Mao stepped closer, incredibly confused and concerned.

"What...?" Tilting her head, she could only look between Basil and Suzui. "What's going on?" Suzui didn't reply, choosing instead to lay Basil on the tiles and stand. "Suzui," Mao continued, "Please, explain." She gestured to Basil. Sighing lightly, Suzui walked to her. "Why is there blood? ...Why is it on you?" Suzui was still unresponsive. "...Are you okay?" Now Suzui was in front of her, staring. Sighing, Mao leaned in slightly and put her hand on the arm with blood on the cloth. "Can I check...?"

Suzui just turned her eyes away, staring at the tiles behind Mao. Deciding that this was the closest thing she would get to permission, Mao gently pulled up the sleeve with both hands. Her fingers brushed the skin there, turning the arm to see all sides to check for injuries. Suzui shuddered, but didn't pull it away.

There wasn't even a scratch.

As she pulled the sleeve back down as gently as she had pulled it up, Mao tried to catch Suzui's eye. She couldn't. There was something building in her chest as she softly grabbed Suzui's hands with her own. Suzui didn't stop her. She acted like a rag-doll under Mao's touch.

"Where did this come from?"

No response.

"It's not yours."

Suzui shook her head slowly.

"Is it his?"

Suzui nodded.

"What happened?" When there was still no response, Mao sighed and squeezed her hands. "Please." After the deafening silence that followed her plea, Mao dropped her hands. She was utterly lost.

Except, was she?

"You have to help me here, Suzy." The nickname made Suzui slowly drag her eyes back to Mao's. "Please." The words were quiet and desperate, almost a whine.

"...Mao." Finally, she spoke. She seemed to be looking for answers in Mao's eyes, which confused her. Shouldn't _she_ be the one who knows the answers? Still at a loss for words, Suzui repeated, "Mao."

"Yeah?"

In lieu of a reply, Suzui just stepped closer, into Mao's personal space. For a moment, she hesitated her movement. She squinted her eyes slightly, still searching for _something._ Before Mao could ask what she was doing, she reached around Mao's shoulders. Surprisingly, she was hugging her.

Mao sighed into the hug, wrapping her own arms around Suzui's waist. "It's alright," She stroked her back as she spoke. "We'll figure it out, right?" She knew Suzui wouldn't respond, so she just squeezed her tighter. "We'll do this together, okay?" There was silence. Strangely, it made Mao uneasy. The rest of their interaction had been concerning, even nerve-inducing, but she hadn't felt afraid. She never felt afraid of Suzui, she didn't feel in danger despite Basil's blood staining her clothes.

But now she did.

Despite not knowing why, she tensed up and her heart started beating faster. Taking a breath, Mao decided that maybe she was just a slow reacter to the blood. Still, Suzui wouldn't hurt her, right?

A piercing clank echoed through the pool area.

It made Mao jump and let go of Suzui. She searched to the source of the sound that came from behind her, her heart racing and her breathing becoming rapid. Looking down at the tiles, she saw it.

A knife rested on the ground.

All Mao could do was stare at it for a moment, fear and confusion swelling in her heart so intensely to the point of pain. She turned to Suzui, searching for an explanation.

Suzui hadn't moved an inch. Her arm was still positioned as if it was around Mao's shoulders. Her hand was open but tense, shaking. The hand that must've been holding the knife before it fell. Before she dropped it. Finally moving her shaking arm back to her side, she looked at Mao, shell-shocked.

Backing up slowly, Mao stared at Suzui in disbelief. "Wha...?"

"Mao," Suzui started.

"Su..." She didn't stop backing up.

"Mao, listen to me," Suzui put her hands up. "I wouldn't hurt you."

Mao didn't know if she believed her anymore.

"I could never hurt you," She tried to explain, holding Mao's stare. "I... I was confused. I'm still confused."

"How..."

"Mao-"

Her voice was barely intelligible as she spoke, "I don't... How could..."

"I didn't do it, alright?" Suzui tried to speak in a soothing voice, but she didn't know how. "I dropped it."

"But you were going to-" Mao shuddered as she stopped moving.

"I wouldn't."

"Then why...?"

"I..." Suzui didn't know how to explain. She was never good at... talking. Still, she had to push through. "I was... confused. I was afraid. I thought I had to do it. I thought it was too late to... stop." She gestured to Basil without turning away from Mao.

"It wasn't," Mao whispered.

"I know," Suzui whispered back. "That's why I stopped." Sighing, she had to continue. She couldn't let Mao... be afraid of her. Or hate her. "If it was anyone else..." Mao tensed. Suzui continued being honest as she said, "I don't know what I might've done." Stuttering and trying to reach her hands out, she continued, "But- but you...! You're different!" Mao didn't move as Suzui gently approached. "I can't hurt you. I... don't want to." Mao remained silent, conflict clear in her expression. "I care about you."

For a moment, Mao didn't reply, she just furrowed her brow and took a shuddering breath. Then, "I... I care about you, too."

There was still uncertainty in her stance. Suzui had to do something. Mao _had_ to trust her. "I've never felt the way I feel about you in my life." Mao's eyes widened and she blinked. "I would do anything for you."

"..." After a few seconds, Mao sighed. "Then..." She glanced to Basil's unconscious body. "Don't... do this."

Suzui took a breath in and looked at him too. "...Alright." Immediately, Suzui walked to Basil and pulled him away from the pool edge. "Can you... help me bring him back?" Nodding and relaxing, Mao rushed over and wrapped one of Basil's arms around her shoulder.

As they walked out of the pool, Mao said, "Wait-" She leaned Basil against the wall and knelt down. Suzui watched her, confused, and saw her pull her sleeve over her hand. Then, she wiped the tiles. Realizing, Suzui also stepped away from Basil and helped clean the blood off of the tiles. She also took the knife from the ground. It took a few minutes, but the area was soon spotless. All evidence of Suzui's attempted crime was gone.

"Let's wash the blood off of his head too," Suzui told Mao as they picked Basil up again. They walked to the sinks in the locker room and rested him with his head against the sink, almost like he was at a hair salon. They gently but quickly washed the blood out, using a clean towel to slightly dry his hair. The blood thankfully didn't transfer to the towel, so they put it in the laundry hamper and continued carrying Basil.

When they reached his dorm, Suzui checked his pockets and easily found his key. After dropping him in his bed and leaving, Mao and Suzui walked to their dorms, which were close to each other. They reached Mao's door first, and she pulled out her key. Before stepping into her room, she turned to Suzui.

Feeling, strangely, awkward, Suzui just stared at her. Thankfully, she didn't have to stand there awkwardly for long, as Mao pulled her into a tight hug. Suzui was glad she could actually enjoy this one.

"Don't do that again... okay?" Mao whispered in her ear, squeezing her.

Suzui nodded slowly, "Okay."

Pulling away, Mao smiled and placed a hand on Suzui's cheek for a moment before stepping back and entering her room. "Goodnight!"

"...Night."

Even as Suzui tucked into bed, she could still feel Mao's hand on her face. 


End file.
